The colossally heavy and bloody defense of Stalingrad by the Soviet troops, as well as further successful operations in the spring and summer of 1943, turned the Wehrmacht from the victorious and strongest military force in the world into a retreating army. In the middle of the year, the offensive initiative finally passed into the hands of the Red Army. In turn, the Allied forces landing in Normandy marked
the final
stage of World War II, culminating in the final defeat of Hitler forces and the occupation of Germany.
Tehran Conference and Preparation of the Second Front
At the end of 1943, the Soviet army was close to the final liberation of its own pre-war territories and the direct entry of its military forces into the territory of European countries. Until then, the participation of Western allies in the war was only a diversion of a part of German troops to themselves (primarily the “Luftwaffe” that participated in the battle for England) and the provision of material support to the USSR under the Lend-Lease plan. However, the successes of the Soviet army in battles opened up for her a tempting (and gloomy for Western leaders) prospect of establishing socialist regimes throughout liberated Europe. In these conditions, the leaders of Great Britain and the United States were faced with a tough question about their own offensive operation in Europe, the result of
what was the landing in Normandy.
It is not surprising that this topic was one of the most debated at the Tehran Conference (November 28 - December 1, 1943). In particular, Winston Churchill persistently insisted on the opening of a Second Front in the Balkans, which allowed the West to take part in the occupation of Eastern Europe. However, Stalin’s unwavering stance, Roosevelt’s intransigence, and lengthy discussions led to the agreement that a landing in Normandy would take place in May 1944. The operation was codenamed Overlord. In turn, the Soviet leadership made a promise after the final defeat of the Wehrmacht to start a war against the Japanese Kwantung army in the east.
Day D - day of landing in Normandy
This happened on June 6, 1944. Numerous allied forces crossed the English Channel, landed in northern France and launched an attack on German positions. This was preceded by an Allied air operation, which resulted in the destruction of almost all fuel plants in the region. This was done so that German tanks and other motorized forces could not resist. The landing in Normandy had as its main goal the creation of a springboard for a further offensive inland. By the evening of June 6, the Anglo-American formations were able to take advantageous positions, despite the desperate resistance of the Germans. The creation of the bridgehead continued until the twentieth of July. The second phase of Operation Overlord, which began in late July, was a breakthrough into France, its liberation and access to the French-German border. The landing of troops in Normandy became the most ambitious landing operation in the history of mankind.